Principal Automotive Cost Engineer / Consulting Lead

This posting represents an advanced recruiting initiative to identify highly qualified candidates or consultants for a strategic engineering role within our European division. While immediate hiring may vary based on business timing, we are proactively building a pipeline of top-tier talent to support upcoming client engagements and growth initiatives.

Role Summary

• The Principal Automotive Cost Engineer / Consulting Lead is a senior, client-facing role responsible for delivering advanced manufacturing and component-level cost intelligence to
• global automotive manufacturers across the United States, EMEA, and APAC regions
• . This position supports both
• solution development

and

• ongoing client delivery
• , working with geographically distributed client teams to drive consistent, high-quality outcomes across regions.
• The role leads consulting engagements that span
• component and commodity cost estimation

,

Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM)

,

Design-to-Cost (DTC)

, sourcing strategy, and lifecycle cost optimization. In parallel, the position serves as a technical and strategic leader for

Galorath Automotive Consulting Solutions

, integrating Galorath’s cost-engineering platforms into client workflows, enabling global client teams through training and advanced support, and contributing to industry thought leadership.

The successful candidate is effective operating at

part-level technical detail

and

• executive decision altitude
• , while supporting global delivery, regional adoption, and continuous improvement of Galorath solutions worldwide.

Core Responsibilities

Client Consulting & Cost Engineering Delivery

Lead automotive consulting engagements focused on

• Manufacturing and assembly cost estimation
• Component and commodity-level should-cost analysis
• DFM/DFA and Design-to-Cost initiatives
• Sourcing strategy, make/buy analysis, and supplier negotiations

Develop defendable, transparent cost models across

• Individual parts and sub-assemblies
• Component families and commodities
• Systems, platforms, and vehicle programs
• Support cost-informed decisions from early concept and design through launch and steady-state production.

Component & Commodity Cost Expertise (Generalized)

• Build and maintain cost models for
• automotive components and commodities

, including

• Materials (metals, plastics, composites, electronics, textiles, etc.)
• Manufacturing processes and routings
• Purchased parts and supplier-provided assemblies

Establish and normalize

• Material cost tables
• Process and cycle-time assumptions
• Regional labor and overhead benchmarks

Perform comparative cost analysis across

• Design alternatives
• Suppliers and sourcing regions
• Manufacturing processes and levels of automation
• Support purchasing and supply-chain teams with target costing, cost breakdowns, and negotiation support.

DFM / DTC & Cross-Functional Engagement

Partner with Engineering to evaluate cost impacts of

• Design changes
• Material substitutions
• Tolerance and specification decisions
• Manufacturing process selection
• Identify primary cost drivers and communicate tradeoffs clearly to engineering, manufacturing, finance, and program leadership.
• Influence decisions before cost is locked into the design.

Galorath Product Integration & Advanced Client Support

• Lead implementation and integration of the
• SEER suite
• (e.g., SEER-MFG, SEER-H, SEER-3D, SEER-SEM) into client environments.

Configure and calibrate cost models aligned to

• Client manufacturing realities
• Data availability
• Decision maturity

Provide advanced technical support to clients, including

• Model validation and troubleshooting
• Assumption development and refinement
• Executive interpretation of results
• Act as a feedback conduit between clients and Galorath product teams to inform roadmap and feature evolution.

DFM / DTC Tool Ecosystem Leadership

Apply and benchmark Galorath solutions alongside other major DFM/DTC and cost-engineering platforms, including

• Siemens digital manufacturing and PLM tools
• aPriori

FACTON

Boothroyd-Dewhurst (DFMA)

• Comparable commercial or internal cost-engineering systems
• Advise clients on tool selection, integration strategies, and cost-engineering maturity progression.

Client Training & Enablement

Design and deliver client training on

• Galorath tools and methodologies
• Parametric and process-based cost modeling
• Component and commodity cost analysis
• DFM/DTC best practices
• Train engineers, cost analysts, and program teams to independently apply cost insights to real decisions.
• Mentor client teams toward sustainable, long-term cost-engineering capability.

Industry Thought Leadership

Contribute to Galorath’s automotive thought leadership through

• White papers, blogs, and technical articles
• Conference presentations and industry panels
• Client webinars and executive briefings
• Represent Galorath as a trusted authority in automotive cost engineering, DFM/DTC, and cost-informed decision-making.

Technical Capabilities

Advanced experience with

• Parametric, analogical, and bottoms-up cost modeling
• Learning curves, yield loss, scrap, rework, and overhead modeling

Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, including

• Machining, stamping, casting, forging
• Injection molding and composites
• Manual and automated assembly
• Ability to interpret CAD models, engineering drawings, GD&T, routings, and BOMs.
• Familiarity with ERP, PLM, and MES environments common to global OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial), Finance, Economics, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success in senior, client-facing consulting roles supporting automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
• Strong executive-level communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Full professional proficiency in German and English, with the ability to operate effectively in a technical and business environment, is required.
• Minimum of 10 years of automotive industry manufacturing cost estimation experience

, encompassing

• Production-level manufacturing cost estimation and cost engineering
• Component and commodity cost modeling and should-cost analysis
• Cross-functional engagement with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Purchasing
• Application of DFM/DFA and Design-to-Cost principles in automotive programs

What Success Looks Like

• Clients rely on Galorath as a strategic cost-engineering partner, not just a tool provider.
• Component- and system-level cost visibility influences decisions early.
• Galorath platforms are embedded into client workflows and decision processes.
• Client teams are trained, enabled, and independently effective.
• Galorath’s automotive credibility and industry leadership continue to grow.

Place of Performance

• This role is based in Germany and requires frequent travel to client locations, primarily within Germany and broader Europe.
• Join Galorath and Become an Employee Owner!

We offer a great benefits package including

Competitive Compensation

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - our contributions are significantly greater than most companies throughout the country.

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Company-sponsored Long Term Disability

AFLAC Voluntary Benefits

Flexible Spending Accounts (dependent & healthcare)

Paid Vacations, Holidays, and Sick Leave

401K Plan

• To learn more about Galorath, please visit us at
• <http://www.galorath.com>
• .